How solar science powers future careers

Science and mathematics are everywhere. Physics explains everything from atoms to the entire universe; maths is the language of nature; while chemistry and biology enable us to understand, support and interact with the world around us.

The solar industry depends on all of the above, and more, everyday as we find ways to be more efficient, to have a lighter touch on the environment and a deeper impact on global emission reductions. We’re tackling climate change by pushing beyond business as usual, a process fuelled by our people, many of which founded their careers on science.

Lightsource bp is proud to have its own central engineering function, ensuring our utility-scale solar projects are built with quality, sustainability and are delivered safely. We also have a dedicated innovation team preparing us for solar’s leap from gigawatts to terawatts, before that vision is fully formed. We search big data to uncover those magic nuggets of information that ever improve our operations.

And it all starts with science.

Renewable energy jobs are hugely varied and provide exciting, stimulating careers for people from a variety of backgrounds. Career paths are rarely linear and many people don’t realise that the skills and knowledge they possess can make a difference in the sector.

We have grown from 280 to almost 1000 people in the last five years, find out more about where science has taken them…

Kate Claydon, GIS Analyst

Kate is one of the GIS Analysts in our London team. She’s got a degree in geology, specialising in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a discipline requiring a lot of knowledge and skill, which she has in spades. Kate considered the opportunity to Lightsource bp as a great opportunity to work on renewable projects, which she believes are highly important to society.

“What a great choice of career! It is a brilliantly rewarding industry to work in, and the need for new talent in the sector is only going to increase as current affairs and the increasing pressures of climate change push for more renewable developments and the need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels.”

As a leading global solar developer we are rapidly scaling-up to help meet the rising demand for reliable electricity, while supporting the global energy transition to net zero. Watch the video below to hear about our team member’s experiences visiting one of our projects in the UK.

Ann Davies, Group COO

Ann Davies is Lightsource bp’s Group COO. With a background in physics and a passion for problem solving she stresses the importance of delivering our 25GW by 2025 target in a positive way. Doing so requires a multidisciplinary approach.

“The world is moving fast, and with all the complexity and challenges in front of us, now is the time for change. For us at Lightsource bp that means we will transform our growth, we will excel at what we do, and we will become a global force in solar. But really, it goes beyond that. We don’t just want to impact the energy landscape, we want to have a positive impact on everything we touch, from local communities to our own staff,” says Ann.

You can read more about Ann’s take on the opportunities for physics graduates here.

Farah Sarhan, Engineering Manager

Farah studied mechanical engineering in Cairo and has always worked in the energy sector drawn by its ability to directly tackle climate change.

“I became increasingly aware of the various natural disasters that hit countries worldwide in my early teens and a couple of years later I learned about the irrefutable connection between these and our changing climate. As my interest in the subject matter as well as STEM grew, I knew that I would want to work in the field although getting there will not be easy,” says Farah.

See more about careers at Lightsource bp and how we support early-stage careers in STEM through our  internship programme.